DE2938407A1 - TUBULAR PREFORMED ARTICLE FOR PACKING CONTAINERS - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to the field of manufacturing tubular casings which are grouped together can be applied from containers such as glass bottles and the like. The tubular shell forms a new one Binding material and a novel structure, particularly useful for joining containers and for heat shrinking around the grouped containers is desirable so that the major surfaces exposed similar containers are held firmly together in tangential relationship.

It is common practice to put numerous items such as soft drink containers, beer and the like in Trade packs that contain a number of containers, this pack usually having a handle or some other handling means for carrying the package. A very common type of packaging is a relatively rigid cardboard blank that is molded around a group of containers, usually 6 or 8, and then inserted into When folded, it is generally locked into itself and with the same containers in the pack. the Cardboard packs usually require partitions between the individual containers, especially in the case of glass bottles to avoid surface contact. These cardboard blank packages were not entirely satisfactory because they were relatively expensive and comparatively difficult to shape, especially

030016/0695 ··. /?

especially in the case of modern filling, cap application and packing machines demanded high speeds.

About this and other shortcomings of the folded cardboard blank to overcome, cans in the recent past have been packaged by combining them with one of one Sheet of elastic plastic material formed carrier with several openings, the provided with a bead The end of the bushes was inserted through the openings. The circumference of these openings covers the side walls the cans and is locked securely enough under the bead to allow the pack to be carried by a handle or through finger holes formed in the central portion of the elastic plastic carrier. Before becoming known According to this invention, it was not considered practical to package bottles in this way, as the Methods and devices available for the packaging of bottles for holding cans in a multipack due to the elongated neck protruding from the cylindrical main portion and the shoulder portion as Proven impractical or excessively costly. Furthermore, it was due to the relatively large distance over which the Carrier had to be moved in its application to the main part of the bottles, required the carrier on successive ones Install bottles at the same time to avoid excessive distortion or tearing of the

030016/0695 ^ * ⁷⁸

Avoid plastic carriers. In addition, the side surfaces of the bottles require additional holding devices, such as, for example, an encircling band, in order to prevent the surfaces of the bottles from hitting one another during handling, shipping and during dismantling of the pack. One such apparatus for packaging containers is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,509,684 to Hohl and Scribner, assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

In the recent past the introduction of shrinkable plastic wrappings, the drastic changes created in the cardboard packaging of the past. The following US patents are examples of packages using plastic wrappings of various types. Most of these revelations are directed to different ones transparent film-like non-foamed shrink wrap packages and the use of prescribed handles, finger restraints and related supporting structures. These patents are the following:

3 532 214 3 650 394 3 331 503 3 198 327 3 650 395 3 302 784 3 552 559 3 817 373 3 477 564 3 834 525 3 416 288 3 756 397 RE 28,535 3 747 749 3 217 874

030016/0695

Multiple container packages using transparent thermoplastic films are suitable for numerous types of applications; however, their use is undesirable for packaging glass containers which are photosensitive Contain foods such as beer. Also, such films do not provide the desired level of shock protection for a multiple pack of glass containers. Furthermore, such films can only be made with difficulty decorate with promotional information and require the use of additional labels or sleeves for identification of the product.

The use of expanded polystyrene for shrink wrapping of one-piece multi-packs is disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,4CKD,810. However, it is through this Patent taught polystyrene is biaxially oriented and generally shrinks evenly in both directions. This kind Oversheath shows in general when it is hot-shrunk the same strength properties in both directions and makes it somewhat difficult to remove each one quickly Container. This material also makes it difficult to form end seals of the flaps at the pack ends, due to both axial and circumferential shrinkage the outer shell.

Accordingly, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved tubular casing for holding bottles together

030016/0695

a package for extremely convenient handling, shipping and convenience in use.

A particular feature of the invention is to provide an improved tubular preform consisting of made of an elastic, heat-shrinkable thermoplastic material that telescopically combines a group Bottles can be surrounded to form a one-piece pack for convenient handling and convenience when shrinking Form shipping.

The invention is an improved one flexible, heat-shrinkable tubular casing that can be both is pre-oriented in its circumferential as well as in its axial direction and manufactured in a unique way and can be folded for convenient shipping and subsequent use in assembly machines, which are designed to open the case and telescope it around a group of bottles, around one to form one-piece packing. The shell is strong after the shrinkage and forms a cushioning protection for the Contained bottles and can still be opened easily, it is opaque to light to protect the contents of the container and is suitable to be preprinted with information or decorations before application.

030016/0695 ^ ₁₁

ORIGINAL INSPECTED

The invention creates a preformed tubular binding material which, with the slightest overlap its folds can be folded flat as well as with an axial thermal fusion seal; the Envelopes are designed so that they can be packed and shipped in multiple packaging units, for subsequent open and for application to similarly shaped containers combined in groups, the outwardly exposed ones Main surfaces they encompass.

According to a further feature of the invention, the tubular binding material is made of a flexible foamed material thermoplastic sheet material which is heat shrinkable and has crease lines on opposite sides Sides, as well as on a bottom section along between the side fold lines has a melt seal, wherein the envelope is adapted to be stacked evenly for easy opening and easy use. The tubular binding material can thus be combined in multiple packaging units for delivery and use be packed flat with packing machines that are capable of producing spaced, firmly grouped groups of bottles to move through the device.

The tubular preformed shell according to the invention is thus particularly suitable for use b <i with high

030016/0695 '" ⁿ²

filling and capping machines operating at high speeds to receive the filled, capped bottles emerging from these machines, as well as to form packs from them, such as the conventional six-packs as used in Sale of soft drinks and beer to be used. The bottles to be packed are in spaced Groups usually consisting of two paratlelen each Rows of three bottles each standing upright side by side, brought up on a horizontal conveyor belt. The groups of bottles are conveyed past a casing application position by the conveyor and the Groups then inserted telescopically into individual covers. In the vicinity of the envelope application position, they become flexible tubular casings from a magazine in the flat-folded state individually brought up onto an opening conveyor, where they are then subsequently taken up and held by holding arms v / earth, on which expansion devices which serve to sequentially open the envelopes into a generally rectangular shape. The open ones Sleeves are then arched and moved down the bottle conveyor along where the groups of bottles are telescopically inserted into the center of the tubular casings for storage. The cases, which containing the combined bottles, are then passed through a heat-shrink tunnel oven, where the sleeve

030016/0695 --- / 13

len tightly heat-shrunk around the grouped bottles will. The envelopes become to a considerable extent around the exposed major surfaces of the bottles is shrunk around so that only portions of the end bottles of the group remain slightly exposed.

The tubular envelopes of the present invention comprise a plastic overshell which is encased in an opaque, consists of pre-stretched and oriented layer composite material. The envelopes are mainly in the circumferential direction oriented and form a closed-cell, foamed thermoplastic polyolefin layer, which on a non-cellular thermoplastic polyolefin film is coated. The shells surround in this heat-shrunk Condition the combined containers and grasp the tops of the containers in close contact with a shrink fit.

An essential feature of the invention is the compact Construction of a heat shrinkable polymeric shell made from composite sheet material with a layer of a closed cell foamed olefin polymer adhered to a layer of a non-cellular olefin polymer film is formed, wherein the cellular layer lies on the inside of the shell and with at least the The tops and closures of the containers interact

... / 14

030016/0695

ORIGINAL INSPECTED

can come while the film is on the outside of the shell and a smooth glossy decorated surface having. A basic form of the invention is presently disclosed and claimed in the co-ordinated U.S. application Ser. No. 694 267, dated June 9, 1976 in the name of James E. Heider under the title "Handel Package for Containers "and is owned by the assignee of the present invention; the present invention constitutes an improvement over said co-pending application. The disclosure of the above-mentioned application is incorporated into the present application by reference.

Further features and advantages of the invention can be found in FIG following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Show it:

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of the method for producing the tubular Cover and the resulting folded covers.

As shown in the drawing, a sheet is made of thermoplastic Material that has the above

... / 15

030016 / 069S

ORIGiNAL INSPECTED

having shafts than a blank 1 of the deformation in a tubular sheath 2 is supplied. The shell 2 has a uniform wall thickness and preferably consists of a polymeric olefinic thermoplastic layer material such as polyethylene. The composite material possesses a surface consisting of a layer of a closed cell foamed olefin polymer firmly adhered to a non-cellular polymeric olefin film. The foamed cellular layer is preferably on the inside of the shell 2a and the non-cellular film layer is preferably on the outside of the shell 2b, where it offers a smooth, non-porous surface which is particularly suitable for decorations. That Layered composite material is impermeable to air, light and water and, after being deformed into a tubular shape Shell a main orientation in the circumferential direction. After being deformed into a shell, the material has a secondary orientation in the axial direction. The composite material in leaf form has a bulk density of about 2 to 30 libs per foot and is particularly desirable Tensile Strength for Practicing the Invention. The layered foam and film sheet should have a total thickness of preferably about 0.004 to 0.020 ".

The tubular casing is formed from a pre-stretched and oriented elongate sheet or ribbon of cellular and non-cellular olefinic thermoplastic material,

030016/0695 ORIGINAL INSPECTCO * ·· ^{/ 16}

which is preprinted or decorated on the smooth film side is. The main orientation of the material is for the most part in the longitudinal direction or in the axial direction Direction of the elongated sheet or ribbon and preferably has a shrinkage of about 70% when molded. In the transverse direction or across the sheet in its as-molded state, it exhibits significantly less shrinkage, namely from about 10 to 20%.

The elongated band of "printed. Sheet material" is usually wound into rolls for subsequent use. The printed rolls are on a prescribed Width calibrated equal to the desired axial length of the tubular preform to the vicinity of the assembled Bottles with the required end overhang. Thus, the sheet or ribbon of oriented preprinted Starting material with its main orientation running uninterrupted in the longitudinal or machine direction taken as the starting material. The sheet is delivered in roll form onto a drum, where the sheet is in uniform Is divided into lengths of prescribed width or axial dimensions. The length is slightly larger than the desired circumferential or radial dimension to the assembled To loosely surround bottles in the transverse direction of the rows.

The blanks, which are usually successively

030016/0695

... / 17

2938A07

Cut from a roll, are applied to individual mandrels and wrapped around them and by overlapping of the rear edge end of the blank missed over its front edge end. The blank ends will be overlapped on the Area connected by fusing, gluing or other known methods to form a sheath or tube from the material that constitutes the tubular preform. A preferred statute of limitations for molding the Seam 2c consists in the local heating of the two overlapping sections of the material, which in physical Resting engagement with one another, as well as touching the area with a pressure-exerting heated sealing bar and forming a linear fusion or heat seal with such heat and heat Pressure.

The seam 2c can also be formed by an adhesive compatible with the sheet material. The seam extends uninterrupted and evenly through the axial length of the shell thus formed. The overlapped ends of the Sheaths that were used to form the seam are free of any printing or decoration, so that nothing Intermediate material can adversely affect the seam formation.

The reshaped shell or tube is then flattened into the collapsed state by the use of wedge side folds 2d, which are made from the envelope

030016/0695

... / 18

are seldom formed. The adjacent sides of the shell are moved inward to axially extending To form folds or wedge folds, the center folds of which in is close to the middle area of the shell sides. Thus three axial fold lines are used around each page fold back on itself, with the middle fold protrudes inwards. The side gussets are formed so that the bottom portion 2e of the shell with a considerably larger Width is formed as the upper portion 2f. Both the top and bottom panels are rectangular and the parallel fold lines forming the edges of the top panel lie within the bottom panel forming fold lines. Thus, the folds containing the side folds 2d do not overlap when the casing is in position in FIG their initially flattened state. The fold lines are such that they correspond to the external appearance of the envelope open and after applying to the compiled Bottles do not do any harm.

After the gussets have been formed as mentioned above, the top plate is placed near the middle area 2g folded perpendicular to the envelope axis. The cross-folding is done substantially off-center, so that the open end edges of the envelope are spaced a substantial distance apart to a to allow easy opening of the cover.

030016/0695 "* ^{/ 19}

The seam 2c is preferably located in a central bottom area of the flattened casing when the side gussets are arranged on both sides of the same. The double-folded envelopes are well suited to boxes, trays or envelopes to be packaged with multiple units which have a significant number of similar folds and orientations Cases included; this number can be, for example, 200 to 500 per box, crate or envelope.

Those made from flexible thermoplastic foam and film layer material The casing formed is adaptable to a pulling-out process for pulling out the individual casings one after the other from the multi-pack box or the multi-pack box. The flexible one Material allows it to be easily opened into a tubular shape for insertion of the assembled bottles. Initially, the envelope can be opened in various ways, for example by releasing the shorter one folded portion of the outermost envelope and pulling the envelope out of the stacked stack at this free one End.

The casings folded in this way are particularly valuable when loading a casing applicator with a Shell at the time. The fold lines of the tubular preform are preferably made by passing the preform therethrough Lettrolls 3 formed for flattening the same, it can however, other methods such as pressing between flats can also be used

030016/0695

... / 20

Plates are used. The sheath is suitable for a slight opening, for example through diametrically arranged ones Vacuum caps just prior to telescoping a group of bottles through them.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the Sheath is about 11 1/2 "in length and the top panel is folded to have a width of about 5 5/8" while the bottom panel is about 6 5/8 "wide. The center fold is made about an inch offset, like this that the end edges are significantly separated from each other. The shell is particularly valuable for surrounding a group of six disposable beer bottles of 12 ounces of the usual size and shape, heat-shrunk to fit snugly onto them to become. They are only at the ends of the final pack with bottles aligned in it in tangential contact there are small openings of the same size. After heat shrinking the sleeve around it there is no longer any movement of the individual bottles within the pack.

The tubular casing does not cause any waste at the casing application station of the packaging machine. Your use in multiple packing units creates an economical envelope for application by such machines with little or no downtime to change

030016/0695

or renewing the binding or labeling material rolls. As desired, the covers can be in a central location produced and fed numerous smaller processes, in order to be opened quickly and on the selected container to be applied.

It may be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as limited by the appended Claims various modifications can be made.

030016/0695

Blank page

Claims (11)

PATENTANWÄLTE DH.-lNG. 1I.NEGENDANKMOT.1) WiPL.-ing. Π. IIATJCK · DIPL1-PIIYS-W-SCIIMITz. · DIPL.-INO. E. GRAALFS Dipi ..- ii * ο. ΛΥ \ AVEIINERT · dipl.-1-hys. W. CARSTENS dr.-ing. W. DÖRING IIAMBURG · MUNICH - DÜSSELDORF • PATENT LAWYERS · NEW »WALL 41 · SOOO HAMBURG 86 · SCHMITZ'GRAALF'S NEW WALL 41 · 20OO HAAfBURG» ft TELEPHONE + TELECOPIER (010) »Inc . telex 02 u? ee inpat d CABLE NEGEDAPATENT HAMBURG P.O. Box 1035 HAUCK- CARSTENS Toledo, Ohio mozartsthasse 23 8000 μ ünciien TELEFON + TELECOPIER (OSO) 03 113 3β 3 666 / USA cable neoedafatent Munich WEnNERT-DÖRING K.-WILII.-RING 11 4OOO DÜSSELDORF TELEFON (0211) 07 00 27'28 TELEX 08 084 880 DYNA D CABLE NEGEDAPATBNT DÜSSELDORF REPLYTO: Hamburg. September 14, 1979 Tubular preform article for packaging containers Claims 1. Tubular preform article for use in packaging a number of similar containers in a tightly held assembly consisting of a heat shrink capable flexible foamed opaque ■ thermoplastic material of uniform wall thickness, which is pre-stretched and oriented both in its circumferential direction and in its axial direction to to allow significant heat shrinkage when in use, characterized by a thermal fusion seal, which extends over the entire axial dimension of the tubular preform article, a 030016/0695 - ~ / ² APPROVED VEKTIiETKR AT THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE ADMITTED REPRESENTATIVES BKl ^- OIlE TUE KUKOPEAN PATENT OFFICE ORIGINAL INSPECTED Exterior of the preform except in the area the thermal fusion sealing printed decorative pattern, a pair of laid side folds that on are arranged along the sides of the preform to lay the article flat and an off-center Cross fold, in which the top panel is folded back on itself to fold the item flat To bring the double-folded state to be stacked on top of one another. 2. Tubular preform article according to claim 1, characterized characterized in that the thermal melt seal is located in the bottom plate of the preform article. 3. Tubular preform article according to claim 1, characterized characterized in that the pair of laid gussets consists of inwardly and axially extending wedge folds, the center folds of which are near the centers of the side panel of the article. 4. Tubular preform article according to claim 1, characterized characterized in that the laid gussets are formed so that for better stacking and easy When opening the bottom panel has a significantly larger width than the top panel. 030016 / 069S * " ^{/ 3} 5. Tubular preform article according to claim 1 / characterized characterized in that the preform article is made of foamed polyethylene sheet material having a thickness of about 0.004 up to 0.020 ". 6. Tubular preform article according to claim 1, characterized in that the eccentric transverse fold in. of the top panel is formed so that the flattened open ended edges of the article are spaced apart to be at a distance. 7. Tubular preform article according to claim 1, characterized characterized in that the various folds and the fusion seal are properly aligned with one another a double flat fold of the article with minimal overlap of the folds and the thermal fusion seal for improved stacking and delivery of a stacked stack of these articles allow. 8. Tubular preform article for packaging a number similar containers such as glass bottles and the like in a tightly held together, tangential arrangement, said preform article being made from an elongated sheet of foamed thermoplastic material, which is flexible, opaque and heat-shrinkable, as well as in 030018/0696 * " ^{/ 4} its circumferential dimension as well as its axial dimension is pre-stretched and oriented to allow significant heat shrinkage in use by an axially running thermal fusion seal, which is arranged in the bottom portion of the preform article, on the outer sides of the preform article decorative printed except in the area of the axially extending thermal fusion seal Pattern, a pair of similar parallel wedge side pleats formed on the adjacent sides of the preformed article are arranged to lay the same flat, and which form a rectangular top plate which considerably is narrower than a rectangular lower plate, as well as an eccentric transverse fold, the upper Panel is folded back on itself in order to bring the object into the state of a double flat fold, which is particularly suitable for uniform layer-like stacking to achieve a lightness in the Shipping as in use. 9. Tubular preform article according to claim 8, characterized in that that the pair of gusset side folds by folding the outer surfaces of the sides inward into fold surface contact along the off-center axial lines for laying the article flat. 030Ö16 / 069B * * ^{/ 5} ORIGINAL INSPECTHD 10. Tubular preform article according to claim 8, characterized characterized in that the preform article is made from a foamed sheet of polyethylene having a thickness of not less than about 0.004 ". 11. Tubular preform article according to claim 8, characterized in that the thermal melt sealing, the gusset side folds and cross folds of the top panel are aligned to eliminate the overlap when double folding of the article to a minimum and an even stacking of a number of the preform articles and to facilitate delivery of the same one at a time from the stacked stack. 030016/0695